Crafters across multiple disciplines like quilting,
sewing, knitting, crochet, rubber stamping and needlework will find out how easy
it is to useOrganized Expressions,
an organizing software specific to their craft by going through the tutorial below
to get up to speed quickly.

Help
files and how to use them:

A good place to start in any program is
a quick overview of program features. The best way to look around Organized Expressions
is to access the Help files. The Help files are well organized and very extensive.

There
are 3 ways to access Help Files:

Method 1. Direct access
to the Help file Contents: Click .

Underlined links are active and take you directly to the section

Help Menu

Method 2: Go to the top menu bar and
select Help. From the Help menu, select Contents.

Method
3: When you are working the program and you want more how-to information for
that area, simply press the F1 keyboard key. The Help file opens directly to a
section overview and that directs you where to go.

Press F1 key for overview of screen section and view directions
on where to look next.

If you want a printed copy of the Help files
there two ways to do this.

Another option is LNS Software Systems,
the distributor for Organized Expressions, has a manual you can purchase
directly from them for $10. Additional information on how to do this can be found
under the Help Menu.

Getting started using Organized Expressions

Note: Each version
of Organized Expressions you have loaded, except the Sewer's version*
has its own folder. REMEMBER, this tutorial does not apply to the
Sewer's Version and the Sewer's Version has a different interface.

Now let's dive right into the program and use the Navigation Window to
navigate.

1.
Go to the Navigation Frame and if your version folders (i.e.. Quilter,
Needleworker, etc.) are not visible, click the
beside Applications .

2. Open the Version folder by clicking on the .

3. Each Version Folder has subfolders that are topic specific.

Inventories

Personal

Address Book

Documenting and Recording Inventories

Several of the inventory screens work the same. When you understand one,
you understand them all. Entering inventory is made easier because Organized
Expressions has many of the category types, manufacturers and other pertinent
details prelisted that are common to the Inventory types you are working
with.

Each column's list can be added to and your additions can always be edited.
As a precaution to NOT accidentally wipe out program prelisted inventory
items, the items that are prelisted cannot be edited or deleted.

Tool and Fabric Inventory Input

Note:Fabric Inventory is only available in the Quilting Version and
Sewing Version. REMEMBER, this tutorial does NOT apply to the Sewer's
Version and the Sewer's Version has a different interface.

The
Fabric and Tool Inventory items work the same.

Threads and
Yarns with multiple companies that have a wide variety of thread
have their own lookup interface. If you wish to go to the Thread
Inventory, click here.

Open a database

1. To open the columns associated with the personal inventory
screen you are planning on adding or editing, go to the Navigation frame
and click on Fabric or Tool Inventory icon. The associated inventory
screen opens.

Adding Information to the Personal Inventory Lists

2. Note in the New Inventory input box several categories
have buttons with 3 dots
beside some of the entry boxes, the button indicates that there are lists to be
selected that your inventory item can be added to.

3. To open a list
to select, add to, click .
This opens the Lookup dialogue box.

Fig. 1 New Inventory Input Box

4. When
the Inventory list is longer than the View Window, click the arrows or drag the
slider bar.

Note: You can add multiple items
from the Lookup List to ONE inventory column. A good example of this
would be a fabric that has several categories it can be added to.

Adding
multiple category to a listing is very useful when it comes time to search through
your personal inventory items.

5. Add multiple categories
from the found in the Lookup Inventory dialogue box to the inventory item you
are adding:

To add random items from the list, hold down the
keyboard CTRL key and click on each category you wish the item to
be listed with. (See example)

To select a several items in sequence
from the list, hold down the keyboard SHIFT key and click on the first
and last item in the list. All items between the two will auto-select.

6.
To insert selection(s) into the category column, click .
The selection(s) will list in the field.

7. To add a category not listed in the Lookup Inventory dialogue box:

Click .
This opens the New Inventory Tool Type.

Type your new inventory
category in the box.

To enter the new category to the Lookup Inventory,
click .
This returns you to Lookup Inventory Type.

As a precaution and to prevent deletion of prelisted categories, the original
Prelisted Inventory canNOT be edited or deleted. The list are ready waiting
for you to add them your Personal Inventory.

9. To
complete all the categories of information for each personal inventory item you
adding, return to the the Inventory Input box (See Fig. 1) and repeat steps
2-8. Once you have completed your item category choices, click

Shortcut to adding like or similar inventory (for
example, magazines)

When you are inputting multiple items that have similar
information like Magazines where the only difference is the date,
use Edit Inventory SAVE AS
option to save you time.

Edit an Item
already listed in your Personal Inventory.

Two methods to open the Edit
Personal Inventory input boxes.

Method 1:

1.
Double click on the row of the Personal Inventory Item

Method 2:

2. Go to the top menu bar and click on .

3.
Note that the Edit input box is very the similar to the Add New Inventory
box. Use the same steps to edit your listing as outlined in the Add Inventory
instructions with ONE EXCEPTION, use the Shortcut Save As check box when
editing adding new items that have only 1-2 category changes.

Edit
Thread Inventory

One of the best features of Organized Expressions is
the Prelisted Thread Inventory to make your job easier for tracking your
thread collection.

Simply select the thread company and
the rest is done. All that is left for you to do is select from the prelisted
threads the ones for your personal inventory needs

Thread
Inventory has a different Lookup window to accomodate the prelisted companies
and individual thread lines for each company.

NOTE: The thread lists
are updated yearly, theseupdates
are avaliable for purchase for all those who have registered their programs.
For persons who have large inventories of threads and yarns, this is a life saver.

2. Click
on the Thread Type you wish to input. The thread content and corresponding
website when avaliable are listed and the thread numbers of current and past threads
lines list.

3. Double click on the thread you wish to add to your Personal
Inventory list and the Edit input box opens.

4. Make your additions
and REMEMBER to click
to personal your inventory list even further.

5. To Save and exit
the Thread Input box, click

6.
To add additional Threads, repeat steps 1-5.

REMEMBER:
Preprogrammed lists are not editable. In the threads input box, the items that
cannot be edited are greyed out. Any category that is in black, you add to or
can be changed.

Adding
links to scanned pictures and other documentation

One of the best features
of the new upgrades released last year for the Quilters, Needlework, Crochet &
Knitting, and Rubberstamp versions is the ability to track and open documentation
done in other programs. By being able to add links to your other documents and
graphics extends your ability to have instant access from one central location.
How many times have you used the Windows Find feature and still cannot locate
that file you know you have? By adding your links to the Inventory list, you eliminate
lost files.

1. To add a link to other program files, open the New
Inventory input box.

Go to the top menu bar and click

2. Click on the Notes or Pictures Folder. This opens up the
Open dialogue box.

3. Locate the file or picture you wish to link to and click
.

4.
To open the file or picture you are linked to, go to the top menu bar and
select
to open a file and
to open a picture. This automatically starts the program needed to display and
view the file or picture you have selected.

Adding Personal
information

Personalize Organized Expressions to:

Keep a diary
to tract your projects

Document the classes you took

Track
your book, magazine and pattern purchases which even includes a column for document
who you loan out items to, so you know where they are at all times.

It
also has an Address Book.

Again note the ability to add your own custom information to any category
can be done when you see a
beside some of the entry boxes.

You also have the ability to
link to Notes and Pictures in other programs.

Note
the number of ways offered in each input boxes to personalize and track your projects,
purchases, and friends. Using Organized Expressions brings all your information
to one place.

Viewing Database and preparing to print in
Organized Expressions

Remember: Whenever you need a quick look at an item and the data
is obstructed, the database columns are adjustable. If a refresher is
needed,

Printing your inventories, personal information and
address books.

IMPORTANT:The
information to be printed will go to your default desktop publishing program
like Word or Word Perfect where you can format the look you want for the printout.

Printing
allows you to Print all the list, selected rows and even allows you to select
which criteria from a row you wish to print.

REMEMBER:For the best printout, adjust your columns before you begin printing.

1. Go to the Navigation bar and open the the section
of the Organized Expressions you want to print from, for example, select
Threads Inventory or Tools Inventory.

2.
To print the complete inventory list, move to step 4.

3. To
print criteria from selected rows only:

Go to the Inventory list

To
print random rows from the list, hold down the CTRL Key to click on each row you
wished to print.

To print a section from the list, hold down the keyboard
SHIFT Key and click on the first row to print and the last row to print. This
action selects all the rows between the two

4. To make the
criteria selection from the category for the printed report, go to top
menu bar and select the Printer Icon
A dialogue box appears. The example below is the the Print dialogue box for the
Threads and Inventory section.

6.
Select the items you wish to print. A check mark indicates the item will print.

HINT: Many times, the selected will print across multiple
pages. Use Print Preview in your printing program to determine if you want to
make criteria selection adjustments.

8.
Format the page to look the way you wish to have it printed. NOTE:
When selecting several columns to be printed, you may wish to change the Setup
of the page from portrait to landscape

IMPORTANT:Be sure to use Preview BEFORE printing so that you know
what you printout is going to look like. Depending on how many columns you selected
to print, the report can print across multiple pages. If that is the case, you
may wish to change which criteria/columns you want printed.

Searching
your database in Organized Expressions

This is where Organized
Expressions shines. Suppose you are working with a cross stitch pattern and need
to know how many threads you already own that the pattern calls for. Or what if
you want to know how many Fabrics you have that are Christmas Prints.

Use
Search to find out what you have and what you may need to purchase. Printout your
search report and you are ready for a very targeted shopping trip. No more buying
the same colors or fabrics 3 and 4 times because you cannot remember if you have
it on hand or not.

1. Go to the top menu bar and select
the Search Icon .
This brings up a unique Search dialogue box depending on which section of the
database you want to search. Here are a couple of examples:

This
example shows how the regular inventory screen searches works.

This
example shows how the Thread inventory search works.

2. Select and/or type in your criteria for your
search.

3. For a hardcopy of the search results, print
your search results by selecting .
Refer to the previous section on how to print.